The American ski resort experience doesn’t always conjure the same glam factor as its European counterpart, but Aspen is one dazzling exception. The former mining town has evolved into a bona fide jet-set enclave, where Michelin-starred dining, high-end shopping, and first-rate ski slopes draw a stylish, deep-pocketed, and surprisingly eclectic crowd. It goes without saying, then, that it’s also home to some top-tier hospitality; the best hotels in Aspen offer a way to recharge in true luxury.
Vogue’s Guide to the Best Hotels in Aspen:
- For Aspen’s best people-watching: The Little Nell
- For a stay steeped in Aspen history: Hotel Jerome, Auberge Collection
- For design-forward digs: Mollie Aspen
- For front-row seats to snow polo: The St. Regis Aspen Resort
- For Bauhaus simplicity: Aspen Meadows Resort
Rising early to skip the lines at the chairlift is strictly optional; in Aspen, there are stand-out exhibitions to check out at the world-class Aspen Art Museum, champagne to be sipped at après ski hotspots like Ajax Tavern, cowboy hats and turquoise jewelry to peruse at the flagship of the celebrity-favorite Kemo Sabe, and an array of fabulous hotels with scenic outdoor hot tubs and atmospheric, century-old saloons.
And the ritzy town is only getting better with each passing year. The recently opened Hero’s expansion at Aspen Mountain unveiled 153 acres of new terrain, while buzzy hotel arrivals like The White Elephant Aspen are cementing the town’s reputation as a vibrant, all-seasons destination.
Below, the seven best places to stay during your Aspen getaway.
The Little Nell
Located at the base of Aspen Mountain overlooking the Silver Queen Gondola, The Little Nell is Aspen’s definitive ski-in, ski-out address. In its 36 years, the 92-room hideaway has cemented its status as one of the nation’s most luxurious hotels, attracting celebrity guests like Beyoncé and Justin Bieber and winning over loyal regulars with high-profile partnerships (think: Dior activations and product collaborations with Angeleno milliner Nick Fouquet).
An unassuming porte-cochère entrance belies the grandeur within: the Michelin Guide-recommended restaurant Element 47, a 20,000-bottle wine cellar, and a newly renovated spa spotlighting Dr. Barbara Sturm and Seed to Skin products. The après-ski scene here is seriously animated—good luck snagging a 5 p.m. spot at the mountain-facing Ajax Tavern or the lively Living Room lobby bar. The stellar ski concierge keeps powder hounds happy, greeting guests with fresh muffins, hot cider, and warmed ski boots, and helping them map out the best terrain for the day’s conditions.
- Amenities: Restaurants, bars, pool, sauna, spa, room service
- Editor’s Tip: Guests enjoy front-row access to the best of Aspen, including exclusive access to freshly groomed runs before the mountain opens to the public.
- Address: 675 E Durant Ave, Aspen, CO 81611
Mollie Aspen
A newcomer to the scene, Mollie Aspen pays tribute to the town’s under-sung design legacy—specifically, the influence of Bauhaus master Herbert Bayer, who moved there post–World War II and designed landmarks including the Wheeler Opera House and the Aspen Institute. Inside the boutique hotel, geometric lines mingle with craft-forward touches (see: a show-stopping abstract textile by American artisan Rachel Snack), lending a subtle Bauhaus sensibility. The property broadens its inspiration to bring in a wider array of design influences, incorporating Noguchi lamps, Mario Bellini leather sofas, and Roger Capron coffee tables, all set against a moody palette of chocolate brown and forest green. There’s none of that famous Bauhaus austerity in the cocoon-like guest rooms, which are each fitted with Parachute bedding and Maison Balzac hand-blown glassware.
After a day on the trails, head to the third-floor terrace, where a spa pool offers 180-degree views of Aspen Mountain. For dinner, choose the soon-to-open French bistro Petit Trois from chef Ludo Lefebvre, serving refined French classics like steak frites.
- Amenities: Restaurant, bar, gym, spa pool, room service
- Editor’s Tip: At just 185 square feet, the aptly named Snug King is perfect for solo travelers or couples who don’t mind cozy quarters in exchange for a more accessible entry point to Aspen luxury.
- Address: 111 S Garmisch St, Aspen, CO 81611
Hotel Jerome, Auberge Collection
A strong sense of history suffuses this 135-year-old landmark, listed on the National Register of Historic Places and built at the height of Colorado’s silver boom to emulate the grand European hotels of the era. As Aspen’s first luxury hotel, the three-story brick hotel soon became a mountain hideaway for silver-screen stars like Lana Turner and John Wayne and, later—following the founding of the nearby Aspen Institute—a salon for intellectuals such as Mortimer Adler. That legacy lives on in its storied common spaces, especially at the famed J-Bar saloon, where an original Chippendale chinoiserie bar has served miners, cowboys, and Olympic athletes.
Ski days are made seamless thanks to an on-site ski concierge and complimentary shuttles to all four mountains; après-adventure, unwind in the heated outdoor pool and hot tub overlooking Aspen Mountain before booking a Biologique Recherche facial or herbal poultice and warm-stone massage at Yarrow Spa. Rooms start at a generous 525 square feet and feature thoughtful details like cashmere curtains, burnished leather bed frames, and archival artwork sourced from the Aspen Historical Society’s collections.
- Amenities: Restaurants, bars, spa, pool, room service
- Editor’s Tip: An outpost of New York’s Felix Roasting Co. serves third-wave coffee and homemade pastries in a dreamy, jewel-box-like space dreamed up by designer Ken Fulk, with a gold stamped tin ceiling and pink vintage Murano glass chandeliers.
- Address: 330 E Main St, Aspen, CO 81611
The St. Regis Aspen Resort
You won’t find wooden antlers or faux-hide furnishings here. The 179-room St. Regis Aspen is all alpine elegance—with a suitably polished crowd to match. Its coveted location at the foot of Aspen Mountain, nestled between the gondola and Lift 1A, puts guests steps from both top-tier skiing and Aspen’s best shopping and dining. Guest rooms feature residential details like hardwood floors, plush beds dressed in 400-thread-count Frette linens, and gleaming marble baths. The property’s social heart is the Mountain Social Bar Lounge, where guests gather for nightly champagne sabering and refined bar bites in a chic space anchored by a Bo Bartlett mural behind the bar.
The winter season officially kicks off with the annual St. Regis Aspen Snow Polo World Championship, drawing society figures and elite players like Nacho Figueras and Alejandro Novillo Astrada. In 2024, the hotel dialed up its wellness credentials with the debut of the 14,000-square-foot RAKxa Wellness Spa—the first international outpost of the acclaimed Thailand-based retreat. High-tech offerings include an oxygen lounge, BallancerPro lymphatic-drainage compression technology, and immersive water and steam circuits.
- Amenities: Restaurants, bars, pools, spa, complimentary butler service, room service.
- Editor’s Tip: During the winter season, the team behind Montauk’s Surf Lodge decamps to St. Regis for the The Snow Lodge: a curated lineup of activations spanning music, food, art, fashion, and wellness. Expect performances by the likes of Diplo and The Chainsmokers, pre-summer club discos at the Snow Lodge Jade Room, and sightings of celebrities like Shaun White and Gigi Hadid.
- Address: 315 E Dean St, Aspen, CO 81611
Aspen Meadows Resort
Built in the 1950s as accommodations for the Aspen Institute complex— the global nonprofit that convenes leaders and changemakers for dialogue and marquee events like the Aspen Ideas Festival—the all-suite Aspen Meadows Resort was historically geared toward conference attendees and participants. In 2023, leisure travelers began discovering this iconic property anew after the Institute tapped Salamander Hotels Resorts to reimagine the historic site designed by Bauhaus master Herbert Bayer. Today, the 98 airy, spacious suites feature pops of color inspired by Bauhaus color theory (read: lots of primary hues) and outfitted with restored design pieces like Saarinen Tulip tables and Bertoia Bird chairs. Original black-and-white photographs by Ferenc Berko line the walls, while white kitchenettes and generous work-dining areas are ideal for families, groups, and longer-term stays. Though the hotel is just five minutes from downtown Aspen, it’s worth lingering on-property to wander among the sculptures and murals across the 40-acre site and explore exhibitions at the Bayer Center and the Resnick Gallery. A heated outdoor lap pool frames mountain views of the Rockies, and plans are underway to transform the property into a full-fledged destination spa.
- Amenities: Restaurant, bar, outdoor pool and hot tub, tennis courts, in-room dining
- Editor’s Tip: Don’t skip dinner at West End Social, the hotel’s standout restaurant and the only dining room in Aspen with full views of all four mountains. The menu leans global, with dishes like blue-corn focaccia with labneh and black lime, a Fattoush gem-lettuce salad, and caviar with sour cream gelato.
- Address: 845 Meadows Rd, Aspen, CO 81611
Limelight Aspen
As the sister hotel to The Little Nell, Limelight Aspen delivers much of the same cool factor and amenities at more wallet-friendly rates. A full redesign in 2022 gave the property fresh cultural cachet: museum-quality works curated by artist and MoMA trustee Paula Crown now fill the guest rooms and the high-ceilinged, industrial-style lobby, with pieces by Walter Niedermayr, Robert Rauschenberg, Shepard Fairey, and Matthew Shlian. After a full complimentary breakfast, set out with loaner snowshoes or hiking poles for a self-guided adventure—or clip into skis and head straight to Aspen Mountain, with the Silver Queen Gondola just steps away. There’s no spa, but the outdoor pool and hot tubs are perfect for easing post-slope muscle soreness, and guests can make use of complimentary Therabody recovery tools. Evenings center on the Limelight Lounge, where cocktails, share plates, and regular live music draw both guests and locals.
- Amenities: Restaurant, bar, gym, outdoor pool and hot tub
- Editor’s Tip: The property partners with Aspen Words, a local literary center founded by the Aspen Institute, on a rotating collection of fiction and nonfiction titles. Guests are encouraged to dip into them throughout the hotel’s many reading nooks—from fireside armchairs to poolside loungers.
- Address: 355 S Monarch St, Aspen, CO 81611
Viceroy Snowmass
If Aspen has more of a historic town center vibe, the neighboring Snowmass Village—which is part of the same ski-resort complex and shares the same mountains—feels more like a resort village, with a slightly sleepier energy and more approachable price points. It’s also home to standout family-friendly properties, including the ski-in, ski-out Viceroy Snowmass, where rooms start at around $300 depending on the season. Fresh off a significant renovation and expansion, headlined by a new tower of guest suites, the property stands apart from others in the area: rooms are privately owned condos (around a dozen owners live here year-round), yet the resort still offers all the services and comforts of a traditional hotel. A highlight is the 7,000-square-foot spa, which offers lymphatic dry brushing, chakra balancing, and massages using the Colorado blue columbine (the official state flower).
New this season is a slopeside tavern serving nutritious grain bowls and indulgent Wagyu bolognese; though many guests will want to save their appetite for a post-ski feast at TORO, the show-stopping restaurant from renowned Mexican chef and restaurateur Richard Sandoval, where dishes draw on flavors and ingredients from across Latin America.
- Amenities: Restaurants, bars, spa, gym, pool, hot tubs, in-room dining
- Editor’s Tip: Don’t sleep on the hotel’s roster of experiences, such as slopeside picnics, guided horseback rides to glimpse elk, moose and red fox, and a chef-led tour of the local farmer stalls at the Aspen Market.
- Address: 130 Wood Rd, Snowmass Village, CO 81615